1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to, among other things, the field of wireless text messaging, commonly referred to SMS or short message service messaging, as well as devices, systems, software and firmware therefore.
2. Description of Related Art
Text messaging, or SMS, relates to sending short (160 characters (US) or fewer, including spaces) alphanumeric messages (and in some implementations can include any 8-bit binary represented characters.) It is available on most mobile phones, some personal digital assistants and computers (typically via internet sites providing SMS services). The most common application of SMS is person-to-person messaging, but text messages can also be used to interact with automated systems, such as ordering products and services for mobile phones, participating in contests, receiving news alerts, receiving calendar alerts, voting in popular TV shows, receiving weather or coastal warning alerts or other warnings of impending disaster, alerting students on college campuses to conditions of which they should be made aware, etc. There are also some services available on the Internet that allow users to send text messages free of direct charge to the sender and also provide a place to receive replies to such messages or for the user to receiving initial SMS messages sent to him. Such services are also available on the internet for fee per use or subscription.
One drawback of the SMS system is a lack of delivery guarantee. The SMS system basically forwards the message to the recipient without regard to whether he actually receives it. MMS provides a delivery guarantee as part of its protocol, but MMS messages are significantly more expensive and complex to send and receive and may not be available yet on older or cheap handsets or on as many internet portals. In this invention, the sender device and the receiving device, with appropriate software as described herein, work in concert to assure SMS delivery.
So as to reduce the complexity and length of the Detailed Specification, and to fully establish the state of the art in certain areas of technology, Applicant(s) herein expressly incorporate(s) by reference all of the following materials identified in each numbered paragraph below.
1) U.S. Pat. No. 7,389,116 System, method, and computer program product for short message service (SMS) rating;
2) U.S. Pat. No. 7,386,009 Method and apparatus for transmission of internet control message protocol messages as short message service (SMS) messages in a communications network comprised of mobile stations;
3) U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,384 Short message (SMS) storage system;
4) U.S. Pat. No. 7,369,865 System and method for sending SMS and text messages;
5) U.S. Pat. No. 7,369,528 Method and system to send SMS messages in a hybrid network;
6) U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,098 Method and system for short message service (SMS) transactions for wireless devices;
7) U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,156 System and method for SMS authentication;
8) U.S. Pat. No. 7,139,259 Method and apparatus for conveying reports for SMS messages in wireless communication systems;
9) U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,783 System for transmitting and receiving short message service (SMS) messages
10) U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,194 SMS-messaging;
11) U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,052 System for transmitting and receiving short message service (SMS) messages;
12) U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,045 Satellite delivery of short message service (SMS) messages;
13) U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,222 Transporting short message service (SMS) messages within a telecommunications network;
14) “SMS and MMS Interworking in Mobile Networks” by Arnaud Henry-Labordere and Vincent Jonack (Artech House Publishers, 2004);
15) “Mobile Application Development with SMS and the SIM Toolkit” by Scott Guthery and Mary Cronin (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2001);
16) “Mobile Messaging Technologies and Services: SMS, EMS and MMS” by Gwenaël Le Bodic (John Wiley & Songs, 2003); and
17) “Wireless Messaging Demystified: SMS, EMS, MMS, IM, and others” by Donald J. Longueuil (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2002).
Applicant believes that the material incorporated above is “non-essential” in accordance with 37 CFR 1.57, because it is referred to for purposes of indicating the background of the invention or illustrating the state of the art. However, if the Examiner believes that any of the above-incorporated material constitutes “essential material” within the meaning of 37 CFR 1.57(c)(1)-(3), applicant(s) will amend the specification to expressly recite the essential material that is incorporated by reference as allowed by the applicable rules.